Wasatch Winterfest

Yes, I am still catching up on the beers we tasted while in Utah/Idaho.  This one, Wasatch Winterfest, was another of the Liquor Store brews coming in at 7.1% ABV.  It poured a dark amber with a big, thick head… almost like that of a rootbeer float if you pour the rootbeer over the icecream.  Pretty cool.. actually.  The nose smelled of bitter hops and a little malt leading to a body of smooth maltiniess with the hops as the undertone this time… quite an interesting role-reversal.  You could taste a bit of caramel in the body in the begining of the taste but that is where this one stopped for me.  The last half of the taste and the finish were both kind of blah… just nothing there.  It was like a great movie that just didn’t know how to end… so it was forced, short, and left you feeling unsatisfied.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Left Hand Winter Ale

The last of the tasting from the other night… Left Hand Brewing brings us a winter warmer in the big bottle, Left Hand Winter Ale.  As we poured, it smelled of what I thought was cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove… what the label confirms is clove, cinamon, cardamon, honey, orange zest, ginger.  Not too far off but therein also lies the problem… this beer is too busy.  As “The Belly” noted, “Too much going on.”  As far as the taste goes, it is sweet on the tip of the tongue, bitter as it heads back to the back of throat, and has different spice kicking in along the way.  The finish was too complex, lending to the too much going on comment.

Overall, this beer had potential but the mix of the tastes and spices ended up being too much for the palate to enjoy.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Northern Lights Winter Ale

Northern Lights Brewing Co & Pub doesn’t really have an official website but it is official that these folks make good beer.  I don’t speak just from the Northern Lights Winter Ale we had last night but from the many times I have had this at beer festivals… there is some good beer brewing going on. 

So, for the winter ale, we had to jump in and when we hit, it almost took our breath away.  This winter ale started things right with an outstanding fruity nose and nice head.  The nose was interesting… I probably sat there and smelled it for about 5 minutes before I actually took a drink.  Mango, passion fruit, papaya… all the tropical ones came through and not in a subtle way.  A beautiful bouquet of smells kept me breathing deep for a while.  After I was past my little sniffing fetish with this one, I moved on to the body and was very surprised to find a wonderfully balanced hoppy ale that wasn’t overpowering but did remind you that this is a 7.5% ABV brew.  The hops hit on the sides and back of the tongue and help provide a wonderful, long lasting, complex finish that sticks with you right through to the next drink.  

Overall a super solid winter ale that I look forward to drinking again in the near future.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Lang Creek Glacier Pilot Winter Warmer

I know Lang Creek Brewery hasn’t done well on the blog… but I still like to think they need a chance, so I picked up a bottle of their Lang Creek Glacier Pilot Winter Warmer the other day.  They have a pretty decent little ditty on their site about this beer, so here you are:

They say you’ve never experienced a Montana winter till you’ve gone ice fishing in a pair of shorts on a beautiful, sunny day with the temperature below freezing!! Yep, it takes a special breed to live out here, a hearty breed with a nose for where to fish, and a taste for delicious beer. Among the lakes that surround the brewery, Lower Thompson Lake is a popular place to fish (as pictured on the label) and is home to Kokanee Salmon, a local favorite winter catch. We brewed our winter warmer especially for those “special” enough to love the Montana winter (including ourselves!) with enough dark malts and bright hops to quench the thirst of those craving the most robust winter beers after a hard day out in the cold. If coming to the Thompson chain of lakes to fish, Lang Creek Brewery has some words of advice for you:

Airplanes are lighter than pickup trucks, they don’t sink to the bottom of the lake as fast as your pickup, fly airplanes next time you go ice fishing.  Don’t build your warming fire too close to the wing, that’s where the gas tank is.  Airplane propellers ice up in winter, so be sure to take along propeller chains with you.

Stop by the brewery on the way too and from the lake, we’ll be sure to warm you up with a pint of our Winter Warmer.

As far as the drinking experience goes, the brew has a dark amber pour with very little head.  There is a definite malt prevalence with hop right behind it keeping it bitter on the body.  The bitter finish on sticks to the roof of your mouth but isn’t unwelcome.  As far as pairing goes, chocolate mellows it out significantly and take the bitter out, which may be a bit too much for some folks. Mezzetta Deli Sliced Mild Pepper Rings also make this interesting…

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Fish Tale WinterFish Ale

A good solid beer to bring in the new year… Fish Brewing Co. brings us another fine ale from their line, the Fish Tale WinterFish Ale.  In a night where the beers were competing with New Belgium La Folie, this one actually stood out against the rest. 

The first notable about this beer was the nose… it was a beautifully fragrant hoppy nose that just pleased the nostrils something fierce.  As “The Belly” noted, “I could snort that beer.”  The body was fruity and there were hints of orange on the tongue and the hops… outstanding use of them in every way.  This belly warmer (7%+ ABV) was great from start to finish.  We particularly enjoyed pairing this with some home made fundge that “The Belly” had cooked up the day before.  The sugary fudge and this hoppy brew were perfect compliments.  This one won’t dissapoint!

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Snoqualmie Falls Avalanche Winter Ale

The second time I have had to buy this beer… Snoqualmie Falls Avalanche Winter Ale made it through me once already, but it was so long ago that I forgot what it tasted like… that and the fact that it is one of about 20+ winter beers I have tasted in the past month or so and you can’t blame me… one might say that it must not have been very good, but I do remember that it was tasty… just no specifics, so here you go after another round…

Dark auburn pour with good head and viscosity. Hoppy nose with a dark hoppy body and definite malt mouth feel. Strong finish with the hoppy bitters lasting well past the drink, as well. I tasted this one at Dave’s place and must say that it was well received by the lady of the house.   This is a big, clean, hoppy beer that covers the experience just as it should.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Lazy Boy Mistletoe Bliss

Another winter beer that just so happened to be on the shelf over at Malt & Vine… thanks for keeping them coming, Doug!   Lazy Boy Mistletoe Bliss comes from the folks at Lazy Boy Brewing Company over in Everett, WA… just about 20 minutes away, in fact.  I should give them a visit… anyhow, this one had to be tried due to the list of beer that I have going on for winter beers for the year… At 7.5% ABV, this can be a bit of a belly warmer, but I have to warn you… it is kind of blah… you get a nice dark pour, but that is about it.. more malt than hop but very smooth on the taste… too smooth, in fact, keep it from being able to settle down anywhere… it just stays too neutral throughout its middle of the roadedness.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Dick’s Double Diamond Winter Ale

Dick’s Brewing Company has had a pretty good run on the blog with 4 out of 5 beers hitting Will Buy Again.  Dick’s Double Diamond Winter Ale is in good company, then, as it enters the blog and hits a sweet spot on the winter beer list.

The beer pours a solid amber color, the head froths up accordingly and the nose spells of hard hitting hops.  Drinking this baby cold gives a super clean feel and finish and is refreshing all in one drink.  I actually wish I had one right now it left such a solid impression… at 7.5% alcohol, it keeps you warm on the inside as well…

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Port Townsend Winter Ale

Another of our winter brews, Port Townsend Winter Ale comes to us from Port Townsend Brewing Co who has done relatively respectably on the blog.  This particular beer is no different and actually rates very high, relatively, for those of the winter ales we have tasted this year.  It pours a nice light copper color with a decent head.  The nose is sweet and produces wonderful aromas of caramel and spices.  The body and finish have a solid mix of hop and malt, balancing the two perfectly.  This is an outstanding winter ale that is easy to drink yet complex enough to be very interesting to distinguished tastes.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Bad Elf Winter’s Ale

Found this one at QFC in Redmond the other day and liked the bottle and the label so I picked it up.  In the end, it wasn’t a bad purchase, but it definitely isn’t near the top of the list for the winter beers this year.

Bad Elf Winter’s Ale

This brew is light colored and heady.  Its most notable characteristic is the sweetness in both the body and the short finish.  A sweetness that isn’t necessarily honey sweet, but more on the sugar side.  Not necessarily too overpowering, but it does take away from the natural flavor of the beer.  The bottle notes it should be hoppy, but as far as what I am used to, it might as well be water in that department. 

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road